Daily Inspiration: Meet Bianca Beach

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bianca Beach.

Hi Bianca, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My PRODUCTS are four fun all purpose taco sauces; my PASSION is bringing people joy through food-cooking/creating/eating; and my PURPOSE is helping people find joy AROUND food. Sharing my story of overcoming food demons is something I feel I’ve been called to do.

here’s the full story- I was born to create food; I’m the product of two chefs who became accidental parents. Eating, making, and talking about food has been a part of my life since day one. However, my relationship with food has been somewhat complicated; when I was 23 I overcame an at times debilitating eight-year battle with bulimia. That is when I realized food could and would be a part of my professional life.

I was living in LA at the time and fell deeply in love with the wide range of Mexican Cuisine. I had never experienced upscale Latin dining or super-fast casual taco stands. I started creating my own sauces inspired by the ones I would enjoy around town. I eventually moved back to the PNW where I started testing that market with Taco nights at my Mom’s establishment and Farmer’s Market ventures. My goal to bottle was set. But then… in the spring of 2009 my mom tragically died. My world had been flipped on its head. I lost my boss, best friend, and future business partner.

After taking some time to get my ish together, I threw myself into the world of French pastry and started making and selling Parisian baked goods through my business, Abeille Baking Co. However, the dream of bottling my Latin inspired sauces never left. In 2017 my husband and I were both at a place with our businesses where a pivot seemed possible, and in 2018 we sold our house, packed our truck, and shipped everything else to Cleveland Ohio! I had been visiting since the early nineties when my mom’s younger sister moved here, so it wasn’t COMPLETELY random, still a pretty big change tho. And shortly thereafter my dad joined us as well!

In December of 2019 we welcomed our son Roman to the world and then a couple of months later the world shut down- time for another pivot! I felt like it was time to see my bottled sauce vision through. I started talking to whoever I could, including an amazing graphic design team called Fizz Creative, and many other industry professionals. In late 2023 Llamacita Sauces was born!

You can find the Llamacita line-up online or in several NEO independent retailers, soon venturing down to Columbus, OR find me putting out the fun cooking content on instagram!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
SO SMOOTH!! JK
It takes money! Constant infusions of cash! And lots of time!!
Money and time, both in short supply.
Carving out time to dedicate to my business and also carving out time to dedicate to my son. There is a lot of gray area in my life, and A LOT of days that feel like I’m not doing either very well. My son going into all day kindergarten this coming year will (hopefully) be a game changer. Managing time has been huge.
Being in the kitchen for so long, it’s taken a year or so to get used to being the CEO and not the maker, the one grinding it out. It’s a different kind of hustle. And it’s great. I hid in the kitchen for a long time, a comfort and crutch I think I got from my parents. Feels good to be front and center and not in the kitchen working a million hours or “recovering” from being in the kitchen for a million hours. The work hard play hard mentality was alive and well in me for a long time, I’ve shut it down and it feels amazing.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As the founder of Llamacita “Taco” Sauces- I do my best to bring people joy through food! Whether that’s through my sauce line or making meals for friends and family, feeding people is my happy place. I love encouraging people to HAVE FUN in the kitchen!

I specialize in fun and flavor, and am known for bringing both wherever I go! I am probably most proud of my son, but aside from that I’m really proud of how much I’ve been putting myself out there the last few months. People like me, and I need to lean into that!

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I nominate-
Billy Ritter – pottery; Chef Ryan Boone; Ruth Kostadinov; Gingham Market; Josh of Nubeigel bagels in Cle Hts;
Emily Tansik of Sante supper club

Pricing:

• Sauces are 11 dollars

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.llamacitafoods.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/llamacitafoods/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bianca-beach-536533231/
• Other: https://substack.com/@biancabeach